The present invention relates to an information receiving apparatus, an information receiving method, an information providing apparatus, and an information communication system, by which a user can reserve or release a resource without consciousness.
It is considered that users can use a high-speed network in homes in the near future, for example, owing to progress of FTTH (Fiber to the Home) techniques which provides various communication services such as telephone, ISDN, and the like through optical fiber cables extended to homes. In case of realizing data providing services which are expected to spread under this environment, such as Internet television service (which will be abbreviated as Internet TV hereinafter), Internet video on demand service (which will be abbreviated as Internet VoD), and the like, the service providers must guarantee the quality of data provided for users, i.e., the quality of services (QoS). In order to guarantee the quality in the data providing services, reservations of band resources used on the network must be carried out to achieve data providing services. That is, to explain an IP (Internet Protocol) network using an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode), a connectionless IP packet needs to be transferred by a virtual connection (which will be abbreviated as VC hereinafter) as a connection-oriented technique which guarantees the quality.
Meanwhile, RSVP (Resource reSerVation Protocol) has been conventionally known as a protocol for reserving a resource such as virtual connection (VC) or the like. In the RSVP, a user operates a terminal connected to a network to reserve a resource, and a connection is thereby constructed. In this manner, the user can obtain data providing services. Also, in the RSVP, after a data providing service is obtained, the resource needs to be released when the user operates the terminal again and the connection needs to be cut.
Thus, in a conventional protocol such as RSVP for reserving a resource, a user himself or herself must operate a terminal, for example, to reserve or release a resource. Thus, there is a problem that users must carry burdens.
Also, for example, in case of an Internet TV, broadcasting of programs is expected to be supplied through a plurality of channels. In the data providing service (program broadcasting service) by the internet TV, it is considered that a user will switch channels to know what programs are being broadcasted, like watching and hearing a normal television broadcasting program, i.e., a user will frequently switch channels for zapping. In this case, however, the user must operate a terminal to reserve or release a resource every time zapping is carried out, so that this operation will become a large burden for the user.
The present invention has been made in view of this situation, and has an object of providing an information receiving apparatus, an information receiving method, an information providing apparatus, and an information communication system, by which users can reserve or release resources without particular consciousness.
An information receiving apparatus according to the present invention, which is connected to an information providing apparatus by forming a connection in a communication network and which receives content information from the information providing apparatus through the connection, comprises: input means for inputting a command based on an operation by a user; communication means for making communication through the communication network; control means for controlling the communication means so as to output an instruction signal, based on the command inputted through the input means; and display means for displaying the content information received by the communication means, characterized in that if a switching instruction which indicates that second content information should be received in place of first content information is inputted as the command to the communication means when the communication means is receiving the first content information through the connection formed in the communication network, the control means makes control so as to output a disconnection instruction for disconnecting the connection for transmitting the first content information, which is formed in the communication network connecting the communication means and the information providing apparatus, and a formation instruction for forming the connection for transmitting the second content information, which is formed in the communication network connecting the communication means and the information providing apparatus.
The control means of the information receiving apparatus according to the present invention controls makes control such that the communication means outputs a reservation instruction signal for making reservation of a communication band resource of the communication network, as the instruction signal, prior to formation of the connection.
Also, if the control means of the information receiving apparatus according to the present invention recognizes the communication band resource which is necessary for the content information to be received, the control means makes control such that the communication means outputs the reservation instruction signal containing resource information indicating the communication band resource, or if the control means does not recognize the communication band resource which is necessary for the content information to be received, the control means makes control such that the communication means outputs the reservation instruction signal without containing the resource information indicating the communication band resource.
Also, the information receiving apparatus according to the present invention further comprises storage means for storing predetermined resource information used for reserving a communication band resource necessary for transmitting the content information, characterized in that the control means generates the formation instruction containing the predetermined resource information stored in the storage means, when forming the connection.
Also, the information receiving apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the storage means stores information used for reserving a communication band resource for transmitting the content information to be provided at least in a one-to-one manner or a one-to-many manner, as the predetermined resource information.
Also, the information receiving apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that after outputting the disconnection instruction for instructing disconnection of the connection for content information presently received at a previously set time interval, the control means makes control so as to output the formation instruction for instructing formation of the connection for transmitting content information according to a previously set order.
Next, an information receiving method according to the present invention, in which a connection is made in a communication network to an information providing apparatus and content information is received from the information providing apparatus through the connection, comprises: an input step of inputting a command based on an operation by a user; a communication step of making communication through the communication network; a control step of controlling the communication step so as to output an instruction signal, based on the command inputted through the input step; and a display step of displaying the content information received through the communication step, characterized in that if a switching command which instructs that second content information should be received in place of first content information is inputted as the command in the communication step, based on only one operation by a user in the input step, when the first content information is being received in the communication step through the connection formed in the communication network, the control step makes control so as to output a disconnection instruction for instructing disconnection of the connection for transmitting the first content information, which is formed in the communication network connected with the information providing apparatus by the communication step, and a formation instruction for instructing formation of the connection for transmitting the second content information, which is formed in the communication network connected with the information providing apparatus in the communication step.
The control step of the information receiving method according to the present invention makes control such that a reservation instruction signal for making reservation of a communication band resource of the communication network is outputted as the instruction signal in the communication step, prior to formation of the connection.
Also, if the communication band resource which is necessary for the content information to be received is recognized in the control step, the control step of the information receiving method according to the present invention makes control such that the reservation instruction signal containing resource information indicating the communication band resource is outputted in the communication step, or if the communication band resource which is necessary for the content information to be received is not recognized in the control step, the control step makes control such that the reservation instruction signal without containing resource information indicating the communication band resource is outputted in the communication step.
Also, the information receiving method according to the present invention further comprises a storage step of storing predetermined resource information used for reserving a communication band resource necessary for transmitting the content information, characterized in that the control step generates the formation instruction containing the predetermined resource information stored in the storage step, when forming the connection.
Also, information used for reserving a communication band resource for transmitting the content information to be provided at least in a one-to-one manner or a one-to-many manner is stored as the predetermined resource information in the storage step of the information receiving method according to the present invention.
Also, after outputting the disconnection instruction for instructing disconnection of the connection for content information presently received, at a previously set time interval, the control step of the information receiving method according to the present invention makes control so as to output the formation instruction for instructing formation of the connection for transmitting content information according to a previously set order.
Next, an information providing apparatus according to the present invention, which is connected to an information receiving apparatus through a communication network and which provides the information receiving apparatus with content information with use of a communication band resource of the communication network which is reserved prior to providing of the content information, comprises: communication means for making communication through the communication network; storage means for storing the content information; detection means for detecting whether or not resource information indicating the communication band resource is contained in an instruction signal, when the communication means receives the instruction signal from the information receiving apparatus; and control means for outputting a band reservation command for reserving the communication band resource, based on a detection result from the detection means, and for making control to make a selection from a first mode in which the communication means is controlled so as to output the content information to the information receiving apparatus, and a second mode in which the communication means is controlled so as to output the content information with use of the communication band resource indicated by the resource information, characterized in that the control means selects the first mode if the instruction signal does not contain the resource information, or the second mode if the instruction signal contains the resource information.
An information communication system according to the present invention comprises an information providing apparatus and an information receiving apparatus connected to a communication network, in which the information providing apparatus and the information receiving apparatus exchanges content information through communication with use of a communication band resource of the communication network which is reserved prior to communication of the content information, characterized in that the information providing apparatus includes providing communication means for making communication through the communication network, storage means for storing the content information, and providing control means for controlling the providing communication means so as to output the content information, that the information receiving apparatus includes input means for inputting a command based on an operation by a user, receiving communication means for making communication through the communication network, receiving control means for controlling the receiving communication means so as to output an instruction signal based on the command inputted through the input means, and display means for displaying the content information received by the receiving communication means, and that if a switching instruction which indicates that second content information should be received in place of first content information is inputted as the command to the receiving communication means when the receiving communication means is receiving the first content information through the connection formed in the communication network, the receiving control means makes control so as to output a disconnection instruction for disconnecting the connection for transmitting the first content information, which is formed in the communication network connecting the receiving communication means and the information providing apparatus, and a formation instruction for forming the connection for transmitting the second content information, which is formed in the communication network connecting the receiving communication means and the information providing apparatus.
The information providing apparatus in the information communication system according to the present invention further includes detection means for detecting whether or not resource information indicating the communication band resource is contained in an instruction signal, when the receiving communication means receives the instruction signal from the information receiving apparatus, and based on a detection result from the detection means, the providing control means makes control so as to select a first mode in which a band reservation command for reserving the communication band resource is outputted and the communication means is controlled so as to output the content information to the information receiving apparatus, if the instruction signal does not contain the resource information, or a second mode in which the communication means is controlled so as to output the content information with use of the communication band resource indicated by the resource information, if the instruction signal contains the resource information.
Also, the information communication system according to the present invention further comprises a relay apparatus between the information providing apparatus and the information receiving apparatus, characterized in that the relay apparatus reserves the band communication resource based on an instruction from the providing control means and the receiving control means.
Also, the relay apparatus in the information communication system according to the present invention reserves the communication resource used for communication from the information providing apparatus to the information receiving apparatus.